Starbucks asks customers to sign petition

Share via e-mail

NEW YORK — Starbucks, known for its piping hot coffee, is throwing itself in the middle of yet another heated national debate.

The world’s biggest coffee chain said Thursday that it will ask customers and businesses to sign a petition calling for an end to the partial government shutdown that has forced hundreds of thousands of federal workers off the job.

The petition, which will be available at all Starbucks 11,000 US locations to sign beginning Friday, calls for reopening the government, paying debts on time, and passing a long-term budget deal by the end of the year. In addition to Starbucks customers, the company is trying to get the chief executives of the nation’s largest companies to sign.

The move is unusual for a company like Starbucks Corp. While big brands generally steer clear of politics to avoid alienating customers, Starbucks and its outspoken chief executive, Howard Schultz, have run toward the spotlight by trying to gain a voice in national political issues.

But because the company’s efforts are generally nonpartisan and unlikely to cause controversy, marketing and corporate image experts say they burnish Starbucks’ reputation as a socially conscious company.

Last month, Schultz asked customers not to bring guns into Starbucks stores. In December of last year, the chain asked its employees to write ‘‘Come together’’ on cups to send a message to lawmakers about the damage being caused by the divisive negotiations over the ‘‘fiscal cliff,’’ a combination of tax and spending cuts.

On Wednesday, the company made headlines when it said it would give a free coffee to anyone in its stores who buys someone else’s order in a ‘‘pay it forward’’ gesture.

On Friday, Starbucks plans to post its petition to try to put an end to the partial government shutdown in several major newspapers. It also will be in stores and available to print out.

‘‘I believe that we will capture the voices of the American people,’’ Schultz said. ‘‘We want to send a powerful message to Washington.’’